


Miniature Murdock

by whitchry9



Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Gen, Identity Reveal, Magic, Team Dynamics, baby Matty, before Stick got to him, hand wavey science
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-03
Updated: 2015-12-03
Packaged: 2018-05-04 19:19:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5345615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitchry9/pseuds/whitchry9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a battle, Daredevil is nowhere to be found, but there is a blind kid stumbling around in the rubble.<br/>The Avengers take him home while they figure out where he belongs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Miniature Murdock

**Author's Note:**

> For a prompt: http://daredevilkink.dreamwidth.org/6237.html?thread=11406173#cmt11406173

Clint spotted him first, of course. The kid couldn't have been more than 12, probably closer to 10, and he was wandering around a disaster area. And Clint wasn't even exaggerating that time, because about ten minutes ago, it had been a disaster area. But what was left of the ice monsters were just puddles on the ground slowly seeping into sewers, so there wasn't as much wreckage to clean up this time.

 

But there was the fact of a kid wandering around the area that was only recently the scene of a battle. That's what Clint was getting at.

“Hey, guys, does anyone else have eyes on the kid?” he called.

“There's a kid on the battlefield?” Steve asked.

“Well, preteen. Eleven maybe? He looks like he may be concussed.”

The kid was stumbling around with his arms held out, looking lost.

“Make sure he's safe, see if you can help him find where he's going,” Steve ordered.

“Got it.”

 

Clint shot a grappling hook arrow into the building across the street and swung down, hitting the ground at a jogging pace and heading towards the kid.

“Hey,” he called out. “Are you okay?”

The kid jerked his head towards Clint. It was then that Clint noticed what he was wearing. Dark clothes, way too big for him.

Clint jogged closer. “Are you okay?”

The kid shook his head, his eyes darting around. “I... I don't remember how I got here.”

Clint knelt down. “That's okay. Can you tell me your name?”

“Matt.”

“Okay Matt, I'm Clint. I'm one of the Avengers. Have you heard of us?”

The kid, Matt, tilted his head. Considered Clint. Shook his head.

“Really? Iron Man? Captain America?”

“I've heard of him. I read the comic books. Before.”

Clint watched Matt's gaze flicker around again.

“Matt, is everything okay? Does your head hurt? Did you fall down?”

He frowned. “I'm a little dizzy I guess. And I still don't know what happened.”

“Okay. Do you know where your parents are? Can we call them for you?”

 

Clint listened as Cap coordinated a medical unit to meet them.

 

Matt frowned again. “My dad... he died. And I don't remember my mom.”

Jesus. “So where do you live?”

“St Agnes.”

Clint frowned. It sounded like a church. Maybe an orphanage? Catholic.

“I'm an orphan,” he said, more quietly.

Clint's heart might have broken a bit at that.

“Okay. Well, I've got some people coming to make sure you didn't hit your head, and that's why you can't remember what happened. After that, we'll see about getting you back where you're supposed to be, okay?”

Matt nodded again.

 

“Medics are almost there,” Cap told him. “How are things Hawkeye?”

“Matt and I are hanging in there. Hey, Matt, we're hanging in there, right?”

Matt nodded.

“Medics are on scene,” Cap told him. “Widow and I are finishing up over here, and then we'll be over. Do you have any info on his parents?”

Clint frowned. “Negative. Hey Matt, the medics are just going to check you over, okay? Does anything hurt?”

Matt shook his head.

 

One of the medics came up beside Clint. It was one that he knew. He knew about half the medics, he'd been hurt so often, but this was one that Clint even liked.

“Hey. I heard your name was Matt.”

Matt nodded.

“I'm Chris. I'm just going to check you over and make sure you're not hurt, okay?”

Matt nodded again.

“I heard you were having trouble remembering things. Does your head hurt?”

“Not really.”

“Okay. And do you hurt anywhere else?”

“No.”

Matt inched closer to Clint.

“How many fingers am I holding up?”

“I don't know.”

“Are they blurry? Is there too many?”

“I can't see them,” Matt said petulantly. “I'm blind.”

Clint rubbed his forehead. That did explain a lot. Like why he was stumbling around in the rubble like he had a concussion, and how he never looked right at Clint. The kid was blind.

Which begged the question, how did a blind orphan end up in the middle of a battle?

Cap was not gonna like this.

 

“How long have you been blind?”

“Since I was nine.”

“And how old are you now?”

“Eleven.”

 

Clint tuned out most of the rest of the neurological exam. He didn't miss the way Matt kept inching closer to him every time the paramedic tried to touch him.

 

Steve and Nat finished with the minor cleanup, and it was at that point that Cap did a head count.

“Okay, we've got Clint, Natasha, Tony, and me accounted for. Anyone seen or heard from Daredevil?”

“Nope.”

“I haven't seen him since a few minutes before the battle ended.”

“Negative,” Clint muttered.

“Tony, do a fly around, see if you can spot him anywhere. This is why he needs a com, so we can make sure he isn't trapped or hurt.” Steve sounded frustrated.

 

Chris finished his exam.

“Well Matt, I don't think you have a concussion, but I think Hawkeye here is going to keep you for a little bit to make sure.”

Clint nodded to Chris. “Yep. We're going to take you back with us while we try and contact someone from the orphanage. We're going to fly in one of the little planes we have. Do you need help getting there?”

Matt nodded.

Clint held his hand out and nudged Matt's elbow. Matt grabbed on.

“There's a bit of a mess, but I'll try and lead you around the broken bits of sidewalk, okay?”

Matt nodded again.

“Why didn't you just tell me you were blind?” Clint asked.

Matt shrugged. “You didn't talk to me like I was stupid.”

“And you thought that if I knew you were blind, that would change?”

“Maybe.”

“Well, thinking that is kind of stupid.”

Matt was quiet.

“I don't like planes,” he whispered.

“Have you ever been in a plane?” Clint asked.

Matt shook his head.

“Well, I'll make sure you are very safe and have lots of fun for your first time. You can sit with Captain America. You said you knew him?”

“I read his comic books. Before.”

“I'm sure he'd love to hear about that. He always likes to hear from fans.”

Matt smiled, just a little bit.

 

“No signs of the Devil,” Tony said.

Steve sighed. “Okay. We're going to have to assume he just left. Our priority right now is the kid. We'll meet you at the Quinjet Clint.”

“Copy. ETA 2 minutes. Watch out, there's a step up here buddy.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Matt Murdock?” Tony asked.

“That's what he told me,” Clint sighed.

“It's just, I know that name.” Tony frowned. “Pepper was telling me about these lawyers that recently set up shop in Hell's Kitchen, had a lot to do with Fisk getting put away. Nelson and Murdock.”

“Right, because there's only one Murdock in Hell's Kitchen?” Clint retorted.

“They could be related,” Steve pointed out. “We could try calling him.”

“If they're related, why is he living in an orphanage?” Tony asked.

Clint shrugged. “Maybe the guy isn't okay with having a disabled kid living with him, especially if he's a lawyer? Who knows. Just call him and see what you can find out.”

Tony got Jarvis to dial, and put it on speakerphone.

 

“Nelson and Murdock, this is Karen speaking, how can I help you.”

“Hi, this is Tony Stark, yes, that Tony Stark. I'm calling to speak to Mr Murdock. We may have found someone related to him.”

“Oh, well, umm, Mr Murdock is not in the office at the moment. Can I take a message?”

There was yelling in the background. “Who is it Karen? Is it Matt?”

“Did he say Matt?” Steve interjected.

“Yes, he did. Who is that?”

“Sorry ma'am, I'm Steve Rogers.”

There was a bit of a squeak on the other end of the line.

“Foggy it's Captain America,” Karen hissed. There's a crash and then someone else was speaking on the phone.

“This is Nelson of Nelson and Murdock, how can I help you?”

“We're looking for your other half. Murdock. We may have found someone related to him.”

“You found someone related to Matt? I don't think he has any family.”

Clint glanced through the glass wall at Matt, who was sitting on a couch and listening to music with Bruce's noise cancelling headphones.

“Can you describe Matt for us?” Steve asked.

“Um, yeah. Brownish red hair, about 5 10, blind, never really shaves, probably got at least one cut on his face-”

“Blind?” Clint interjected.

“Yeah, since he was a kid. Why does that matter?”

“How old? How old was he when he was blinded?”

“Nine. Does it matter? Who do you think you've found?”

“Mr Nelson, I think we've found your partner. But he's not exactly the same.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

Mr Nelson 'you can call me Foggy' arrived in record time. By the time he got to Avengers Tower, little Matt had eaten a snack of peanut butter on crackers, and had listened attentively to Clint's story about the time he brought home an assassin, carefully altered to be age appropriate. Mostly. He was back to listening to music now, as Jarvis had alerted them that Mr Nelson was in the building.

Tony had gone back out to look for Daredevil, muttering something about no one being left behind, even assholes with stupid costumes.

 

“Oh my god.”

Clint turned. The guy was wearing a suit and his hair was long. Not as long as Thor's for sure, but longer than anyone else on the team. Except for Nat of course. Clint was pretty sure he could rock a nice bun if he tried.

“Mr Nelson?” Steve asked, getting to his feet and holding out a hand to shake.

The guy shook his head, like he couldn't believe it. “No. I mean yes. Call me Foggy. _Jesus._ What happened?”

Bruce scratched his head and spun around in his chair to face Foggy. “Best we can tell, he was somehow deaged to his eleven year old self.”

“Jesus,” Foggy repeated. “I mean, I've seen a picture of him when he was younger, but this... it just isn't the same, you know? And this was probably before St-...” he trailed off.

“What?” Steve prompted.

“Nothing. I just realized something. Does he remember anything?”

“As far as we can tell, he has his memories up to that point in his life chronologically. He remembers being blinded, he remembers his father dying, he remembers the orphanage. But he also thinks it's the 80s.”

“He doesn't know me then,” Foggy said. “We didn't meet until law school.”

“And he doesn't have any other family?” Steve asked.

Foggy shook his head. “We didn't talk about it that much, but I know that his dad was the last family he had left.”

 

“Do you know what adult Matt may have been doing in Midtown during a fight with ice monsters?” Clint asked.

Foggy laughed nervously. “Matt has a knack for getting into trouble.”

“A blind man just wandered into a combat zone? I don't think anyone has that big of a knack. I would know,” Steve told him. “You wander into that many fights, you're looking for something.”

“Matt's blind. He probably just got lost,” Foggy retorted.

 

“When we were on the phone, you said that he probably had at least one cut on his face. Why did you say that?” Natasha asked. Foggy jumped a bit. Clint was lucky enough to have years of practice of her sneaking up on him, and was rarely surprised anymore. Or at least managed to hide it better.

“Like I said, he has a habit of getting into trouble. He is hurt a lot.”

Natasha shook her head and looked thoughtful. “I know that when Fisk went down, your firm was integral in the process. In fact, you even had some help directly from Daredevil. And your secretary has met him in person.”

“So what? He knew we were honest lawyers, which is hard to come by these days.”

Natasha grinned, a wide and threatening thing that Clint had come to recognize as her victory grin.

“Maybe. Or maybe it could have been that one of you wasn't just working with Daredevil, but was Daredevil. And from what I've seen of Daredevil, and from the pictures I looked up of Matt as an adult,” she waved her phone, “They look pretty damn similar. Also, I think you're a little short. It explains his frequent injuries, your firm's relationship with him, and also why we can't find Daredevil in the field.”

She looked at Foggy pointedly and waited.

 

“Damn,” he said, entire body sagging.

“You know for a lawyer, you're not that good at lying,” Steve commented.

“He's worse, believe me,” Foggy groaned.

 

Steve picked up a com. “Tony, you can stop looking for Daredevil. We found him. Come on back.” He cut it off before Tony could ask any more questions.

 

“I was going to accuse him of faking the blindness as an adult, but that child is definitely blind,” Bruce pointed out. “I'm guessing he doesn't get suddenly cured later in life and decides to become a superhero?”

Foggy shook his head. “No, he's definitely still blind. But his other senses... compensate I guess? Or are a lot stronger? That's how he fights. Air flow and pressure waves or... something.” He shook his head. “I still don't entirely understand it.”

 

Clint looked through the window at Matt, who was still listening to music, his eyes closed, looking content.

 

“Can you fix him?” Foggy asked quietly.

Bruce startled. “The vision?”

“God no, the whole... age thing.”

“Right. Well, I've been working on it...”

“Yes or no.”

“Yes, I think so. Probably. It may take some time though.”

 

“Where is he?” Tony yelled. He came stomping down the hallway, one leg still in a boot, one hand still in a gauntlet.

“Who?” Natasha asked innocently.

“Daredevil. Who else?” Tony paused. “Who's he?” he asked, pointing at Foggy accusatorily.

“Not Daredevil,” Foggy replied. “Foggy Nelson.”

“So who is Daredevil, and why can the idiot not just pick up a phone and let us know he's alright?”

 

Clint hooked a thumb in Matt's direction. Tony's gaze followed it.

“You've got to be shitting me,” he groaned.

“Nope,” Natasha told him. “We are very serious.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

It took eight hours for Bruce to come up with anything. In that time Matt listened to a lot of music that probably wasn't supposed to exist for him yet, ate more peanut butter and crackers, and fell asleep on the couch. He slept curled up tightly, the headphones still firmly over his ears.

 

“His senses are really strong,” Foggy said. “Smell, touch, taste, and especially hearing. The only reason he's sleeping is probably because of those headphones.”

 

Steve nodded. “I had a lot of the same things. I could hear properly for the first time, my vision cleared up, and it was terrifying.”

Tony eyed Matt with interest.

“No,” Clint told him. “Leave him alone and go see if Bruce needs any help.”

Tony frowned at him. “You're no fun,” he muttered, but he turned around and ran right into Bruce.

Foggy perked up. “Did you find something?”

Bruce scratched his head. “I think so.”

 

He led them into his lab, Natasha and Foggy staying behind to keep an eye on Matt in case he woke up.

 

“What am I looking at?” Clint asked, squinting at a screen covered with letters and numbers and sticks everywhere.

Bruce waved a hand and the data from the computer materialized in the room, shaping into some sort of molecule. “This is the compound I found in Matt's blood. The best I can tell, it acts as some sort of anti-growth hormone, but beyond anything that should be possible. I'm guessing some sort of magic or alien technology was involved.”

“So can you fix it?” Steve asked.

He nodded. “I've engineered a compound that should act as an antidote, binding to all the molecules in Matthew's blood and allowed them to be excreted harmlessly.”

He waved his hand as he spoke, and another molecule appeared, binding with the first one.

“Is it dangerous? Would they go away on their own?” Clint asked.

Bruce fiddled with his glasses, and for once, Tony didn't say anything. “It's not dangerous as far as I can tell, no, but I can't be certain. And the compound may go away on its own, but there's no saying how long it could take, if it was to happen.”

“So what are you suggesting we do?” Clint asked, narrowing his eyes at the two of them.

“Hey,” Tony said defensively, holding his hands up. “I had nothing to do with this. But as far as I can tell, the science is sound, and the compound that we'd use to neutralize the other molecule is similar to a lot of chelating agents that are used for heavy metal poisoning.”

At Bruce's look, Tony shrugged. “Hey, there was a time I was dying from palladium poisoning. Did you really think I didn't look into all of my options?”

Clint frowned. “So it's safe?”

Bruce nodded. “Fairly so. We'd have to give Matt an injection and monitor him for a while, but he should return to normal within hours.”

“I think that's something you should discuss with Foggy before doing,” Steve pointed out, and Bruce nodded.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“You're giving him what?” Foggy asked, squinting at the syringe in Bruce's hand.

“It will neutralize the compound in Matt's blood that is causing him to be eleven years old again,” Bruce explained. “By binding with the harmful compound, it neutralizes it so they can leave the body together.”

“And all you have to do to make him go back to his normal self is give him that shot?” Foggy asked skeptically.

“It wouldn't be instant,” Bruce assured him. “It would probably take a few hours.”

“Will it hurt him?”

Bruce paused. “The compound itself isn't harmful. It's also not proven, so there is a tiny chance it could be harmful when combined with the compound already in his blood. And the process would likely be painful. Do you remember when you were a kid and had growth spurts, how your bones and muscles would ache for no reason other than that they were growing? It would be like that, but worse. It wouldn't be for long though, and if it was too bad, we could always give him medication.”

Foggy shook his head. “Matt hates drugs. But I think you should do it. It's the only way right?”

Bruce laid a hand on Foggy's shoulder, looking at him with kindness. “You're making the right choice,” he assured him.

Foggy exhaled shakily, and nodded.

 

Bruce went to wake Matt up and give him the shot.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Matt was unconscious, or some version thereof, during the entire thing. Clint was thankful for that, and suspected Foggy was as well, because the way Matt was growing seemed painful. There was a reason Bruce was so angry as the Hulk. Transformation hurt.

 

Just over two hours after the injection, Matt's movements stopped.

“I think he's back to about normal,” Natasha commented. “What do you think?” she asked Foggy.

Foggy scrutinized his friend. “Looks like it. So what now?”

“He'll wake up soon. He's probably tired,” Bruce noted, feeling Matt's wrist for a pulse. “His vital signs are good.”

 

Foggy nodded. “Thank you.”

Bruce smiled. “It's the least I could do.”

“And thanks, all of you, for everything,” Foggy added, glancing around at the other Avengers who were still hanging around after all this time.

His gaze stopped on Steve for a minute, and Clint was sure it was finally sinking in that he was meeting the Avengers.

Steve really was just as impressive as everyone expected. It wasn't fair, really.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Matt's eyelids moved first, then he stirred. Then his eyes fluttered open and darted around before closing again.

He seemed to ease into the couch, and Clint thought he'd gone back to sleep just when he opened his mouth.

“What happened?” he muttered.

“Daredevil, it's okay. You're in Avengers Tower and you're safe,” Steve assured him. Clever, using his code name so that he didn't immediately panic about his identity.

Matt exhaled, considering that. Listening, probably, if Foggy's recollection of his senses were anything to go by.

 

He frowned, rolling slightly on the couch so he could look towards Foggy. Clint had no idea what the point of that was if he couldn't see.

“Foggy. What are you doing here?” After a second, he felt his face. “Oh no,” he groaned. “What happened?”

“You were temporarily aged back to your eleven year old self. And yeah, they've all figured out who you are.”

Matt groaned again. Tried to roll back over. Nearly fell off the couch. Finally just buried his face in his arms.

“Can we go home?” he asked, his voice muffled a bit.

Foggy looked to Bruce, who nodded. “Yeah buddy, we can.”

“Just be sure to let us know if anything... strange happens,” Bruce told them as Foggy nudged at Matt's elbow. Matt sat himself up.

“Did you bring my glasses?”

“Oh yeah, I did.” Foggy patted his pockets. “Jacket.”

Clint picked the jacket up from the nearby chair and threw it to Foggy. Matt winced.

“Sorry,” Clint said.

Matt shook his head. “I'm just... readjusting.”

Foggy dug around in his pockets and pulled out a pair of glasses from one. He handed them to Matt. He dug through another pocket, and pulled out a folded up cane, handing it to Matt as well.

“I'm not even going to ask,” Matt muttered.

“You keep losing them. I have backups,” Foggy told him.

Clint snickered. “Maybe you should have brought him some other clothes too,” he pointed out.

Matt frowned and felt his body. “Why?”

“You're wearing all black, like a cat burglar.”

Matt hummed. “Oh well.”

He got to his feet, perhaps a bit unsteadily, but he had been wearing a different body for half of a day, so it was understandable. He shook his cane out.

“Home,” Foggy said, holding his elbow out.

“Home,” Matt agreed, taking the offered elbow.

Foggy led him into the elevator, and they both waved before the doors closed.

 

“What a nice guy,” Steve commented.

Clint was pretty sure he was talking about Foggy, since Daredevil could be a dick a lot of the time, and since Matt was Daredevil, it meant he was a dick a lot of the time.

“This is why we need to know more about the people we work with,” Tony pointed out.

Natasha snorted. “You're just mad you didn't figure out his identity before.”

“Maybe,” Tony muttered.

“Tony does have a point,” Steve added. “Things could go badly if we don't know about our teammates and their weaknesses.”

“Dibs on identifying Spiderman,” Tony said immediately.

 

Clint definitely was not going to break it to Tony that he and Natasha already knew all about Spiderman. He'd let Tony learn for himself.

 

**Author's Note:**

> *handwaves at science*
> 
> This is why Thor couldn't be there, because then he would come up with an actual explanation.


End file.
